Tuesday, 31 August 2010

I finished this quilt this afternoon and my Bradley was kind enough to hold it up for me while I photographed it. The patterned fabrics are an old Moda range. I bought a jelly roll (It was my first ever!) and used it, and used it, and used it. And I still had strips left. I had no idea what I was going to do with the leftovers. Fast forward three years. Mrs 26 (picklesticks) was making small quilts for a good cause (check hers out here) and I thought I would make one too. I searched through my fabrics, came across these strips and thought they would make a great small quilt. (80cmx80cm-ish) And it's not bad. I will take it round to Mrs 26's house tomorrow so we can send our quilts off. Sewing day tomorrow! Can't wait.

Saturday, 28 August 2010

Ahhhh....... I have had a busy week! And today was the perfect ending to such a busy week. I went to the patchwork apple and did a class. Loz and I had both booked in so we knew it would be fun! (Okay, so in what reality would going to the patchwork apple not be fun???)

So, what made my week so busy? I spent Monday with my grandchildren and their mother. We shopped, then played at my house for a while, and then shopped again. The second lot of shopping was to buy bags of sand which we took home to picklesticks' manor to set up grandson's sandpit. He is an outdoor kind of guy and loves his new sandpit. He has used every day since we set it up despite Adelaide having quite a lot of weather this week. We had wind, rain, hail, thunder, lightning, sun and it was C.O.L.D. brrr. Quite usual for August, but being human I had to remark on it. So, despite all that weather grandson has played in his sandpit non stop. (It is undercover) Tuesday and Wednesday I sewed curtains for Mr 21's house. Thursday I did a headache. (Quite a tricky one which took all my powers of concentration and required that I do nothing else) Friday I spent the day at Mr 21's house putting up curtains. So you can see just what a relief a class at the patchwork apple was!

My log cabin blocks

The class had just three of us in it. Me, Loz and Ingrid. I had not met Ingrid before, but hope I do again because she was really interesting and a lovely person to boot. We had conversations about biodynamics and butchers which are out of my ordinary and made for a really interesting day. Loz and I managed to have lunch at the bakery and made it back to the patchwork apple in order to sew some more! (We were model students!)

Vicki's finished quilt on the left and Jane's finished quilt on the right. My blocks on top of them both. They will all look so different!

I must point out here that Loz did finish more blocks than me and she even tried out some of the flying geese blocks that border the log cabin blocks. The log cabin blocks really were fun to sew and I have even sewn some more this evening. Maybe I will finish this quilt top sooner rather than later! (Did you notice that my blocks are "something" and white? It is my favourite combo at the moment. I have been playing around with this combo this month in a split 9 patch quilt top that I haven't shown you yet.) Ahhh...... can't wait to get to that machine tomorrow!

Saturday, 21 August 2010

I went to the patchwork apple this morning for my Civil War Class. We have two blocks per month to make. Today was the second class, but I missed the first class because of my retreat to Mannum. So, I am a little behind, but Sara (our teacher) said we (Jean and I) will be able to catch those blocks up later. I managed to finish the first block and will do the second block for homework. I think I am really going to enjoy this class. I am surrounded by wonderful women, Loz, Jean, Deb and Yvonne as classmates and the patchapple's Sara and Jane. I have chosen a red and white palette and so far it's looking gorgeous! The class was lots of fun and I have four weeks to do my homework. The photos below are of my finished block. One without the flash and one with because neither exactly tells the colour story like it is!

My sewing room is still a mess! I still have a bunch of projects close to being finished without really being that close to being finished! I still have dozens of projects floating around in my head, desperately trying to get out! Lots to do! Perhaps I'll start tomorrow!

I have had a week of unpicking. Sew, unpick. Sew, unpick. Not sure if it is because I just didn't have it this week, or if the headaches I have had this week just made me too spacey to do any thing successfully. I did manage to finish the new camera bag today. That was this morning and then Miss 24 and I went to sit and sew at the patchwork apple this arvo. Much fun there! And I'm off there tomorrow as well for a Civil War Class!

Wednesday, 18 August 2010

It was sewing day today at Picklesticks house. I wanted to sew a bag for my new camera so had to design the bag before I could sew it. So much thinking! I am now working on sewing the bag. If it turns out I will show it to you!

Monday, 16 August 2010

Went to teach needle turn applique at my Mum's U3A quilting class today. Demonstrating needle turn applique was difficult, because I left my glasses at home! (I also left the photocopies of the pattern I'd planned to use at home! One of those days I think.) I must be getting old!

Proof of my advancing years.

Invited to teach at U3A (University of the third age)

Forgot my glasses!

Have to wear glasses to see when hand stitching. (I teased my Bradley mercilessly when he started to need glasses. Why did I think I would be immune?)

Oh! There they are. On my bedside table.

This is my Mum hard at work. Yes! I know. I have more grey hair than she does, despite the fact that she will be 70 next year. (What can I say? I take after my Dad obviously. He has a lovely head of white hair!)

And some of the women in the class. All working hard. It was just me slacking cause I didn't have my glasses. I am hoping to finish something this week. The month is half over and I don't have any finishes! I am feeling much better now though, so any thing could happen!

Saturday, 14 August 2010

I got a new camera! My old camera has been a pain in the neck. Needy to the extreme. Every time I pick it up it demands new batteries. Three or four photos later, new batteries! So, my Bradley and I went to the shops to look at cameras. I think the last time I did that was almost three years ago. (Doesn't time fly! I'm thinking of renaming this blog, "Doesn't Time Fly!" cause it seems to be my current catch-cry!) Boy, have cameras changed over the last three years! The biggest change I noticed was that most of them were not pretty. Pffffft! What's with that? Pretty just seems to be so important to me. I ended up with a great camera with fantastic features, but pretty? Well, you can't have everything! I am in the middle of making a new bag for it and that will be very pretty!

Continuing on the pretty theme, my Bradley and I were wandering around an electrical store this morning (Looking for an ice cream maker. No ice cream makers, cause it's winter apparently and no-one eats ice cream in winter! Are we just out of step with the world? Cause we eat it non-stop! No matter the weather.) and I pointed out the electric kettle I would buy next time. (Bradley just bought a new electric kettle last weekend cause our old one died. Are you sensing a theme here? Dead electrical/electronic items.) He looked at the "chosen" kettle and said, "What is the difference between that one and the one I bought?" Hmmm...... I wondered how I could casually bring up the pretty thing....... and then he said, "Apart from the fact that this one is prettier than the one I bought they're the same." Oh my goodness! He understands the pretty thing and yet it still isn't a factor!

Bunches of children have been busy building Star Wars lego today whilst watching (wait for it...) Star Wars! Misses 24 & 13 along with Mr 16 & 9. As someone who has never liked sci-fi it is really strange to find that your children love it. Really strange. Hope you are having a great weekend too!

Wednesday, 11 August 2010

We went to Mrs 26's house today and I sewed. I didn't remember to take any photos (keeping it real, I will have to admit that I didn't even remember to take the camera!) I managed to put the stripy blocks from the last post together in a quilt top and I actually managed to put some of the 9 patches together that I am making my split 9 patch top from. The bits above are the stage immediately before the 9 patch stage. So again, sewing done - but nothing finished. I did enjoy the sewing though. Flitting suits me I think. So, tomorrow? More flitting I think!

Tuesday, 10 August 2010

So, I didn't actually do any tidying today. Just sewing. You know, the tidying was a nice idea, and I'm sure I will do it some time, but not today! Instead I modified a charm pack (above)

Sewed one corner of my red club quilt. (The centre "T" section is going to be "on point" with these triangles in the corners)

And rearranged these leftover moda jelly roll strips into some stripy blocks. Can you tell I had problems concentrating today? I am happy with what I got done though. There may never be another finish in my life again. I may just flit from project to project. This idea has great appeal! Piecing is my favourite part of the quilting process, so this could really work for me!

Sewing day tomorrow at Picklestick's house. Not sure what I will take with me. I have so many projects on the go! I'm looking forward to sewing again tomorrow.

Monday, 9 August 2010

Finished this today. I really enjoyed the thread (variegated - so nice to be able to stitch with the one thread and not have to keep up with colour changes). It is "Spring Gully" by Cottage Garden Threads and I quite liked it. They have some really lovely colour combos and I picked up a couple at Country Hart when I was in Port Pirie. I'm happy with the two Gail Pan stitcheries I did as a result of my Port Pirie trip. Not sure what I will use them for. This one Gail finished as a wall hanging and the first, smaller one Gail finished as the cover for a block keeper. Maybe I will put them on bags. I really love bags! I have been planning to make some bags, but just haven't gotten that far. (Not very good planning, obviously!) My handbag (one from the shop) is breaking and I always think that handmade, purpose designed handbags are best. I also want to make a bag to take sewing things to classes and sewing day. So, maybe I will use these on bags.

Tomorrow I am planning to really get stuck into the sewing room tidying. I have several million projects on the go (don't we all?) which tends to mean mess. Lots of it. Then of course I have my fabric addiction which means that new things are continually coming into the sewing room. I have sooooo many great fabrics! I am very lucky. I read about other bloggers de-stashing and I always admire them for it, but at the same time can't imagine doing that myself! I guess I am just a hoarder at heart. Whenever I think about controling my stash I think about using it! So after I finish tidying tomorrow I am going to sew, and sew, and sew, for the rest of the week. I have a bunch of projects that I could finish so I guess I will give it a go.

Saturday, 7 August 2010

Miss 18 had a boy send her flowers this week. A huge bunch of flowers. So large I didn't have a vase big enough to contain them. (I'm not much into flowers myself) Fortunately though I knew somewhere I could get such a vase. Ikea! I have loved this jug for ages and this week had a need for it, so I bought it. (Such a thoughtful boy to send flowers which totally compliment my table runner! Looks good, huh?)

Miss 24 had a need for a pet a couple of weeks ago which translated into this little guy. His full name is Toby Bunny. He lives downstairs from three guinea pigs (the new pets of Mr 16, Miss 13, and Mr 9.) and he likes to jump. A lot. I guess that is the bunny in him!

Apart from new things very little has been happening here. I spent some time today cutting fabric out ready to piece. I am still on a bit of a go slow, but I now have a voice so I'm pretty sure I am on the mend. Looking forward to feeling much better next week!

Wednesday, 4 August 2010

I am still sick and haven't really been keeping up with much other than resting. Mr 9 tells me that it is August and on the whole he is a truthful young man, so guys, it's August! Who can believe it? Obviously not me!

Loz and I travelled to Port Pirie on Saturday morning for Country Hart's retreat with Gail Pan and Natalie Ross. I had had a pretty good day on Friday at red club and even had my voice back (Gosh I missed it!), but Saturday saw me without a voice again. It was a well organised weekend with great teachers and a very welcoming and generous host (Robyn). Apart from feeling sick, I had a wonderful time. I spent the two days stitching the Gail Pan stitchery above and was really pleased to finish it while I was there. Since then I have done very little and I still don't have my voice. (Just the voice of some old guy called Irwin I think. Every time I speak it shocks me.)

I am at picklestick's house today for sewing day. So far all I have done is this post. I am working on another stitchery from the weekend and you may see that later in the week. Last month I had all sorts of goals and plans for the month. This month I hope to get my voice back. And that is all. Okay. Back to the stitching!